Power Outages

Change doesn't always happen swiftly or smoothly, but in a world where people want more control over their entertainment, communication, and transportation, utilities that rely on operating a grid for profits may want to think differently.

What's shocking about the parallels between our recent blizzard series and the Great White Hurricane is what New York City did 125 years ago that perhaps the rest of the country, or at least those in weather damage susceptible areas, ought to do as well.

No drone of the air conditioner could be heard. No television blared in the background. Not even the familiar hum of the refrigerator or a solitary screen saver could be detected. The sacred wedge of silence was magical, entrancing and wholly alien to those huddled upon the floor and sofa.

To even maintain our antiquated power system, massive investments estimated at $673 billion are needed by 2020. Why not invest this money into the creation of a modern power system that is actually capable of meeting the full set of America's energy needs?

A plan several years ago to bury transmission and other power lines at the University Medical Center and Veterans Affairs hospital in BioDistrict New Orleans, where both complexes are under construction now, was termed too costly.

Why are some people still without power? The power grid consists of the transmission lines, distribution lines, and the last few feet from the pole to your home or business. Where this cable reaches your home is the separation point of utility responsibility and customer responsibility.